GENERAL LABOURERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1641, 7 January 1913, Page 5

GENERAL LABOURERS.

..'■'-— : — t ——— .. ;: .> '■■;': UNION'S ANNUAL REPORT. : ■;;'.■ POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, V.-.;,, "Six years ago this month," says the annual report of tha General Labourers' Union, "the General Union, was formed in Wellington; "Towards •'tbe ; end of the' year the first award was pro-' cured froin the Court. Neither in the town award nor in,any subsequent country award did the labourers obtain any advantage except that the minimum wage • was, fixed. The conditions' awarded' by the\Court woi>6 in most: cases; already, olitaifaed., During the year just.' pasf'.-the union again.' approached: the Arbitration' Court, and succeeded'in getting tho first advance that has been obtained from'the Court for labourers in this district since 1907. ■■'■ -_. •-; ■■ ■ '.;■:,.,',:.:.- ;.,•.;■; "The actions for conipensation taken in the Suprom© Court,' Blenheim,' oh behalf ! of the widow and two children < of the Into, John Corliss and the three orphan rcn, Anderson, resulted in a /verdict, for; .£3OO in each case. As the money would never havo been obtained' but for the, action of the union, the 1 lawyers engaged in .the case (Messrs. O'Began and Dix) refunded the 6um 0f..£45, which explains' the item for that amount in this year's bnlalioewshoot. '. ; ' :;'. ;■;.".•' "Ono satisfactory featuro of the year's work was the decision of the?members,by a majority of over four' to'ono,'to take part in the political activities of .the Labour movement. .The Napier and Wa-i' nganui bradbhes havo for somo years boon' active in political as.in industrial' 1 work. Ther wisdom': of■■■ their policy is shown by tho fact that the members": of, l»tu branches employed by tho respective borough councils aro working under botiter conditions than we have tMxm'abhKto obtain from the Arbitration Court. .' "The.tates.of ,payi in tho three ■, chief secondary towns of the Wellington iiidusi : trial district.aro now fixed at Is. ljd. minimum f6r labourers,. with, oyertime,, preference, and travelling allowance. This : lias Toally.boen tho most important work accomplished during the year. _ 'Wo'ore also endeavouring to have the city,award, improved in tho direction of higher wages nnd other advantages. The branches of tho union at WanffanuvNamcr, and Hastings havo shown considerable growth; This is duo, no doubt, to the improvements sooured through tho award of tho Court, and also to. tho very ~satisfactory . agree-: ments which have been arrived at irith tho Wanganui Borough Council apd tho Napior Borough' Council. .'ln both these towns, local works, such as drainago and tramways, .'pushed forward: dur-., ing the year, giving inerearjod opportuneties to members of the union and to tho organisation. ',' ;v; ,, ..■'■ •■'..• .' : "The balance-sheet'shows that tho four branches of tho union havo assets mainly in cosh, worth -JC4G4'" This should bo taken by members as being very satisfactory. During tho year the president and treasurer visited tho country branches as assessors in l , tho\ dispute before', the Conciliation Council. Opportunity was taken to'get into touch with' the' members during tho trip;, Tho meetings, of tho. members in these districts wore Veil attended, and members seemed to. bo working harmoniously, in the interests of the Labour movement generally. The thanks, of. the union aro. due to Messrs. T. G..,Love, George Brown; and Gavin Allan; who havo acted as branch secretaries with •'great credit to themselves and to tho organisation." .-."' • •■'■'■-. . ■'.' '.'•"■■■•■■■■' .'■'■ ■'■'■